Derrick C. Brown is an award-winning poet, storyteller, comedian, and President of Write Bloody Publishing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit independent poetry press he founded in 2004 that has published 185+ titles by poets including Andrea Gibson, Sarah Kay, and Clint Smith. Brown is a former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne who discovered poetry in a foxhole and has spent three decades transforming it into a living, breathing art form accessible to all. His innovative fusion of poetry and comedy earned him Paste Magazine's Comedy Album of the Year (2023), and The New York Times celebrates his work as "a rekindling of faith in the weird, hilarious, shocking, beautiful power of words." He is the author of ten poetry collections including the retrospective "A Little Grief Break" and four children's books, winning the Texas Book of the Year award for Poetry in 2013. Currently serving as the first-ever Poet Laureate of Los Feliz (2025-2026), Brown has performed at 1,800+ venues across 30 years of touring, from basement shows in Long Beach to major stages like The Tonight Show, This American Life, and San Francisco Sketchfest. His workshop series "Your River is Waiting" has reached poets at all levels, including incarcerated communities and high school students. Brown began his LA journey performing at open mics in Long Beach's underground poetry scene, running poetry cruises on gondola boats through the canals, and driving to poetry salons in Silverlake and Los Feliz and the valley. LA is a city whose creative energy has fueled both his art and his mission. He tours extensively via motorcycle, bringing explosive performances and transformative workshops to communities nationwide, with Write Bloody's headquarters now located in North Hollywood.